BitRock InstallBuilder

BitRock Installbuilder allows you to create easy to use multiplatform installers for Linux, Solaris and Windows. BitRock installers are native binaries that can run on Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, 2003, Solaris and on virtually any Linux distribution.

The generated installers provide native look and feel and desktop integration for Windows, KDE and Gnome and are optimized in size and speed, reducing download, startup and installation time. BitRock Installers are single-file, self-contained native executables with no external dependencies and minimal overhead.

All BitRock installers are truly native code, do not require bundling a Java Runtime Environment and provide an intuitive interface on all platforms, even for users without previous Linux experience. BitRock InstallBuilder includes an easy to learn, easy to use GUI environment thar can be run on Windows and Linux.

Create Windows, Solaris and Linux installers from a single build environment. For advanced users, a friendly XML project format supports source control integration, collaborative development and customizing projects both by hand and using external scripts. A command line interface allows you to automate and integrate the building process.

QuickBuild functionality allows you to update installers in a few seconds, without having to repack the entire application. BitRock InstallBuilder provides convenient built-in actions for commonly required installation functionality such as changing file permissions, substituting text in file, adding environment variables, adding directories to the path, changing the Windows registry, launching external scripts and so on.

BitRock installers can be customized in a variety of ways, both graphically and in functionality, and can be run on GUI, text and unattended modes. An uninstall program is created as part of every installation. BitRock Installers are platform and programming language independent. Internationalization: BitRock installers support 15 different languages.

Features:

• Multiplatform Support : BitRock installers are native binaries that can run on Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, 2003, Solaris Sparc and on virtually any Linux distribution. Contact us for legacy Windows 95 support.
• Desktop Integration : BitRock installers provide native look and feel and desktop integration for Windows, KDE and Gnome.
• Optimized : BitRock installers are optimized in size and speed and do not require a self-extraction step, reducing download, startup and installation time.
• No External Dependencies : BitRock installers are single-file, self-contained native executables with no external dependencies and minimal overhead. Unlike competing products, all BitRock installers are truly native code and do not require bundling a Java Runtime Environment.
• Ease of Use : BitRock installers provide an intuitive and easy to use interface on all platforms, even for end users without previous Linux experience.
• Ease of Development : BitRock InstallBuilder includes an easy to learn, easy to use GUI environment. Design, build and test installers with the click of a button.
• Time Saving Functionality : For advanced users, a friendly XML project format supports source control integration, collaborative development and customizing projects both by hand and using external scripts. A command line interface allows you to automate and integrate the building process. QuickBuild functionality allows you to update installers in a few seconds, without having to repack the entire application.
• Built-in actions : BitRock InstallBuilder provides convenient built-in actions for commonly required installation functionality such as autodetecting a Java(tm) Runtime, changing file permissions and ownership, substituting text in a file, adding environment variables, adding directories to the path, creating symbolic links, changing the Windows registry, launching external scripts and so on.
• Crossplatform Build Support : The installer builder tool can run on Windows, Solaris and Linux and generate installers for all target platforms from a single project file. Create Windows, Solaris and Linux installers from a single build environment!
• Customization : BitRock installers can be customized in a variety of ways, both graphically and in functionality.
• Multiple Installation modes : BitRock installers provide : several GUI modes with native look-and-feel, for installation in a variety of desktop environments; a text-based installation mode, for console-based and remote installations; a silent/unattended install mode which can be used for integration in shell scripts for automated deployment.
• Uninstall Functionality : An uninstall program is created as part of every installation, allowing users to easily uninstall the software. As the installer, it can be run in a variety of modes. On Windows, uninstall functionality can also be accessed from the Add/Remove Program entry in the Control Panel.
• Startup Failure Detection : BitRock installers will automatically detect the best installation mode available. Users also have the option to manually select a mode.
• Language and Platform Independent : BitRock installers can install applications written in any language, including: Java, PHP, Perl, Python, C/C++ and .NET/Mono.
• Multiple Language Support : BitRock installers support a variety of installation languages, including English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, Dutch, Polish, Valencian, Catalan, Estonian, Slovenian, Romanian and Welsh. You can specify a default language or let the user decide. Please contact us if you require additional language support.

What is new in this release:

• Disabled the debugger in platforms other than Windows, Linux and OS X
• Single platform Linux edition can now build both x86 and x64 binaries
• Improved Java launchers to support generating console applications
• Improved LZMA support on Linux x64
• Improved xwindow mode to support the setting
• Added French translation to the AutoUpdate tool
• Added text mode support when using minimalWithDialogs UI mode
• Improved platform_name built-in variable to allow identifying CDROM builds programmatically
• Updated Linux Distributions detection and added Amazon Linux distribution to the list of platforms
• Updated documentation
• New installer_error_code and installer_error_code_original built-in variables
• Fixed rule not properly working in some scenarios
• Fixed some files being packed twice on Windows
• Fixed not properly working in some Windows scenarios
• Fixed uninstaller not properly finding its data file in some scenarios
• Fixed not triggering the in case of error
• Properly set the installation log permissions when configuring the and settings
• Fixed action not properly configuring its scope
• Fixed components not allowing programmatic selection at some points of the installation when enabling

What is new in version 8.2.0:

• New feature: Password protected encryption of installer payload
• Added support for ksh shell in environment variable actions
• Improved action to allow configuring the bitness (32bit/64bit) of the target Java runtime
• Improved action to support wildcards
• Improved installer images initialization on OS X
• Improved ini file actions to support both hashes and semicolons as comment characters
• Fixed OS X installers prompting twice for privilege elevation when enabling
• Fixed 32 bit installers crashing in Linux Mint x64 when running in gtk mode
• Fixed system language not being properly detected in some Unix environments
• Fixed GUI buid log not allowing text selection on OS X
• Fixed unattendedmodeui setting not properly displaying its default value in the help menu
• Fixed failing at uninstallation time in some environments
• Fixed required parameters being mandatory even if its parent parameter is not selected
• Fixed nested uninstaller calls not properly working on Windows

What is new in version 8.1.0:

• Updated documentation
• Reduced memory consumed by big installers
• Improved Builder GUI drag and drop when using non-default DPI settings
• Improved startup time in qt mode when using a big number of directory parameters
• Improved Qt mode on OS X to use the native buttons order
• Fixed OS X installers failing in some environments when displaying the final page
• Fix crash when failing to delete locked DLLs
• Fixed installers failing when displaying some component groups configurations
• Fixed Windows shortcuts cache not being properly refreshed on uninstallation
• Fixed downloadable components not properly verifying the download checksum in some environments
• Fixed action not properly working when invoked inside loop actions
• Fixed AutoUpdate not properly normalizing the update download location
• Fixed failing in some Windows 64bits environments when is enabled
• Fixed some actions not properly executed in the
• Fixed installer not being deleted in some environments when is enabled

What is new in version 8.0.2:

• Improved example projects and made them easily accessible through the builder GUI
• Added HTTPS support for Linux, Windows and OS X for and actions as well as for the autoupdater
• Improved downloadable components to allow resuming failed downloads
• Added new tag to action
• Improved error handling when none of the configured allowed display modes can be initialized
• Improved built-in pages to display runtime changes of the property
• Fixed HTTP-related actions failing in some Windows 64bit environments
• Fixed rule not properly checking child components
• Fixed Qt mode not properly displaying right-to-left languages
• Fixed Gtk custom style not properly wrapping some parameter pages text
• Fixed action failing in some Windows environments when passing arguments containing % characters
• Fixed installer failing when launched in some partially broken HP-UX environments
• Fixed incorrect encoding in Italian language
• Fixed crashing when providing multiple options with the same text
• Fixed InstallBuilder's User Guide link in start menu on Windows
• Fixed Gtk progress bar writing warnings to console in some environments
• Fixed not being properly vertically aligned

What is new in version 8.0.1:

• Added new installer_command_line_arguments built-in variable
• Added new regular expressions section to the documentation
• Allow to be used in the
• Prevent from failing because of warnings when adding the services
• Improved slide show images alignment on OS X and Windows in qt mode
• Fixed debugger failing in some environments when editing the executed action list
• Fixed debugger crashing when right clicking in the Variables Editor root node
• Fixed builder crashing when editing actions and enabling advanced syntax mode
• Fixed builder crashing when building projects on some solaris-intel environments
• Fixed machine_ipaddr built-in variable not being properly defined on OS X Lion
• Fixed Gtk mode crashing in directory selection in some partially broken environments

What is new in version 8.0:

• Implemented built-in debugger
• Improved component system to allow tree component selection
• Improved component system to allow downloading components from a remote server at runtime
• Improved component system to allow adding and removing components from an installation
• New to allow enabling/disabling a set of child parameters dynamically
• New to allow exclusively enabling a parameter from a set of childs dynamically
• Updated documentation
• Improved quickbuild performance in GUI mode
• Added new dotnet_framework_type built-in variable
• Improved all languages translations
• Improved AutoUpdate to support redirects
• Fixed slide show alignment on qt mode
• Improved GUI to allow hiding advanced settings
• Prevent components configured with canBeEdited=0 from being configured from the command line
• Make evaluation version message more clear on qt and gtk modes
• Improved linux_distribution_version autodetection on CentOS
• Fixed dialog not being properly centered on OS X,
• Fixed Java launchers throwing an unknown error message when the launched application returned with a non-zero exit code

What is new in version 7.2.4:

• Updated documentation
• Allow executing .cmd scripts on Windows
• Added contextual menu to GUI entry widgets to allow restoring the original value being edited
• Fixed installers not deleting the current file being unpacked when canceling the installation in some environments
• Improved < project > properties editor dialog to validate user input
• Fixed < httpGet > and < httpPost > actions failing in some Windows environments because of the download file being locked
• Improved registry actions to work with < foreach > and < while > actions

What is new in version 7.2.3:

• Improved Italian, Czech and Russian language support
• Added support for HTTP redirects in < httpPost > and < httpGet > actions
• New --verbose command line flag added to command line builder
• Added new < endOfLineConversion > tag to file manipulation actions to allow configuring the EOL handling
• New < fileIsLocked > rule
• Improved performance of < unpackDirectory > action
• Improved AutoUpdate to allow configuring its output directory and filename
• Improved built-in pages language strings to support variables modified at any point at runtime
• Improved widget alignment in nested parameter groups in qt mode
• Fixed < addScheduledTask > action failing in some environments
• Dropped Windows 98 support
• Added examples for all actions to the documentation
• Improved deb generation to allow providing custom conffiles files
• Improved < autodetectJava > action to properly work on OS X 10.7
• Fixed action failing in some environments
• Fixed installers failing on OS X with some thirdparty system fonts configuration
• Improved the file packing filters to support semicolon separated patterns
• Improved command line builder to support displaying text mode popups when building
• Improved GUI builder to accept the information provided through the --setvars flag
• Added new built-in variable installbuilder_ui
• Allow Arabic language to be selectable through the GUI builder
• Allow providing short version of registry root keys to registry actions
• Allow launching scrips from directories containing "&" characters
• Improved final page text wrapping
• Fixed some environment variable actions now properly working in some Windows environments

What is new in version 7.2.2:

• Updated documentation
• New Search dialog for GUI Builder XML editor
• Disabled "Save" and "Save As" menu entries in GUI Builder when no project is loaded
• Fixed action not properly registering variables in some scenarios.
• Skipped mirror selection page in AutoUpdate tool when just one option is available
• New action to create absolute paths
• Fixed not saving the password when accepting the dialog by pressing enter
• Improved rule to also include default Windows firewall
• Improved Russian language support
• New project setting to allow disabling the creation of the Add Remove Programs entry on windows
• Improved action to support latest Windows versions
• Added Support for shiftjis encoding on HP-UX in text mode

Limitations:

• 30-day trial